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Bertrand Delanoe Supports Emmanuel Macron

Prominent Socialist Party leader Bertrand Delanoe has announced his support for centrist Presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron. Delanoe said that it will be important to defeat far-right leader Marine Le Pen for better future of France. Le Pen is the frontrunner in the first round of French Presidential elections, as per survey conducted by different agencies.

Delanoe is a popular leader in Socialist Party and has done a lot for Paris as mayor. Instead of backing Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon, Delanoe has come out in support of Macron. Current surveys suggest that Le Pen would be followed by Macron in the first round of elections. First two candidates will face each other in the second round on May 7.

Talking to France Inter radio, Delanoe said, “We need to support the candidate who can beat Marine Le Pen. It wasn't an easy decision to make but fighting the far-right has to be a priority. The useful vote for the (April 23) first round is a vote for Macron.”

Many leaders in France are concerned about far-right National Front leading the elections. Le Pen has said that she will ensure French exit from the European Union. This decision will have a major impact on French and European businesses. President Francois Hollande has also warned French voters about the rise of far-right party in France in the recent weeks.

Macron was economy minister under President Hollande but he is now facing the elections as an independent candidate. Polls forecast that Macron would easily beat Le Pen during the second round of elections. However, recent opinion polls also suggest Le Pen gathering more support among French voters. This could be an alarming sign for leaders opposing Le Pen.

As per Reuters report, “Earlier this week, the lower house of parliament's president Claude Bartolone also pointed to Le Pen's strength in polls when saying he was finding it hard to back Hamon and could be tempted to back Macron.”